ASHTON — Ashton will celebrate the opening of a 1976 Bicentennial time capsule as part of a community festival July 17 through July 19 that will include a car cruise, parade, street dance, fireworks and an all class reunion centered on Ashton Fest Flashback. More than 50 items placed in the capsule by residents and students were sealed at the Mills and Petrie Community Building and are scheduled to be opened Saturday morning.
Sherri Stauffer, president of the board of the Mills and Petrie Community Building, said the capsule became the focus of the weekend. Stauffer said, “ They did it in September of 1976 to be opened in 50 years. And it’s really kind of what spurred this whole weekend on, because we knew that we needed to open it, and already the car cruise night on Friday night was scheduled, and so we just decided to make it a big weekend.”
Cindy Knight, an event organizer, said the idea grew from a car cruise night into a full weekend celebration, adding, “And since the time capsule has things that so many school kids remember, plus there are alumni very excited about the time capsule opening. And so I thought, you know what? Let’s make this into an alumni weekend.”
Organizers said the weekend will also feature a vintage baseball game, splash pad celebration, quilt show, food vendors, live music and fireworks to close the event.